Product delivery methods and systems utilizing portable unmanned delivery aircraft

• US 10,414,495 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Natarajan, Chandrashekar, High, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/863,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20180141661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/20 Arrangement of optical beacons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/67 the UAVs comprising tethers for lowering the goods
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 23/18 specially adapted for use in particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/00 Traffic control systems for aircraft , e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

In some embodiments, provide systems, apparatuses and methods to deliver products using unmanned delivery aircraft. In some embodiments, product delivery system is provided, comprising: an unmanned delivery aircraft configured to deliver a package to a package drop point corresponding to a location of a vehicle at a predefined drive-through station, wherein the delivery aircraft comprises: one or more cameras; an image processor configured to process images captured by the one or more cameras and based on the processing of the images confirm a precise location of the package drop point as defined according to a determined current location and an orientation of the vehicle; and a crane system that supports the first package and lowers the first package to the package drop point relative to the current location and orientation of the vehicle while the delivery aircraft hovers above the vehicle by a threshold distance.

Claims

1. A product delivery system, comprising:

an unmanned delivery aircraft configured to carry at least a first package to be delivered to a package drop point corresponding to a location of a vehicle at a predefined drive-through station associated with a shopping facility, wherein the delivery aircraft comprises;

one or more cameras positioned to capture images of at least the drive-through station and the vehicle waiting at the drive-through station when the unmanned delivery aircraft is proximate to the drive-through station;

an image processor configured to process images captured by the one or more cameras and based on the processing of the images confirm a precise location of the package drop point as defined according to a determined current location and an orientation of the vehicle; and

a package release system that supports the first package and releases the first package at the package drop point relative to the current location and orientation of the vehicle while the delivery aircraft is positioned relative to the drop point and the vehicle.

2. The product delivery system of claim 1, wherein the image processor in confirming the precise location of the package drop point comprises confirming the determined location of the package drop point that is fixed to the vehicle.

3. The product delivery system of claim 1, further comprising:

a series of fixed beacons positioned at known locations relative to and proximate to the drive-through station and generate predefined beacons signals;

wherein the delivery aircraft further comprises;

a beacon detector that detects one or more beacon signals from one or more of the series of beacons; and

a location detection system coupled with the beacon detector, wherein the location detection system continuously and autonomously determines a precise location of the delivery aircraft utilizing the predefined beacon signals when the beacon signals are detected.

4. The product delivery system of claim 3, wherein the delivery aircraft further comprises:

a global positioning satellite system, wherein the global positioning satellite system receives global positioning information corresponding to a current location of the delivery aircraft, wherein the location detection system utilizes the global positioning information in cooperation with the beacon signals in continuously and autonomously determining the precise location of the delivery aircraft; and

a control circuit configured to utilize a known predefined global position of the drive-through station relative to the determined precise location of the delivery aircraft in controlling movement and routing of the delivery aircraft to the drive-through station and to maintain a position of the delivery aircraft while hovering above the vehicle while delivering the first package into the package drop point.

5. The product delivery system of claim 1, further comprising:

a crane system that supports the first package and lowers the first package;

wherein the image processor is further configured to process one or more of the images captured prior to the crane system lowering the first package and confirm there are no detected humans outside the vehicle and within a threshold distance of the package drop point; and

a control circuit coupled with the crane system and configured to activate the crane system to lower the first package after confirming there are no detected humans outside the vehicle and within the threshold distance of the package drop point.

6. The product delivery system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more shopping facility cameras orientated to capture additional images of the drive-through station; and

a shopping facility image processor configured to receive the additional images captured by the one or more shopping facility cameras, determine the current location and orientation of the vehicle, and communicate the determined current location and orientation information of the vehicle to the delivery aircraft.

7. The product delivery system of claim 6, wherein the shopping facility image processor is further configured to confirm the package drop point is open and accessible to receive the first package based on the processing of the additional images through a comparison of at least two additional images of the vehicle at the drive-through station that are captured at different times separated by at least a threshold period of time.

8. The product delivery system of claim 1, further comprising:

a delivery control system that is separate and distinct from the delivery aircraft and in communication with the delivery aircraft, wherein the delivery control system comprises a transceiver that receives a communication identifying a customer corresponding to the vehicle;

the delivery control system identifies the first package is to be delivered to the vehicle based on the identified customer, and activates the delivery aircraft to deliver the first package to the package drop point corresponding to the location of the vehicle within the drive-through station in response to a detection of the vehicle at the drive-through station.

9. The product delivery system of claim 8, further comprising:

a vehicle detection system at the shopping facility configured to detect a presence of the vehicle at the drive-through station and communicate a vehicle notification to the delivery control system triggering the activation of the delivery aircraft.

19. The product delivery system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned delivery aircraft further comprises a crane system that supports the package release system and the first package and is configured to lower the first package to the package drop point relative to the current location and orientation of the vehicle.

20. The product delivery system of claim 5, wherein the control circuit, in activating the lowering of the first package, is configured to cause the unmanned delivery aircraft to lower to the package drop point.

10. A method of delivering a product, comprising:

receiving images of at least a predefined drive-through station and a vehicle waiting at the drive-through station from one or more cameras of an unmanned delivery aircraft that is configured to carry at least a first package to be delivered to a package drop point corresponding to a location of the vehicle at the drive-through station associated with a shopping facility;

processing the images through an image processor of the delivery aircraft;

confirming, based on the processing of the images, a precise location of the package drop point as defined according to a determined current location and an orientation of the vehicle; and

controlling a package release system of the delivery aircraft to release the first package at the package drop point relative to the current location and orientation of the vehicle while the delivery aircraft is positioned relative to the drop point and the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein processing the images and confirming the precise location of the package drop point comprises confirming the determined location of the package drop point that is fixed to the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting, through a beacon detector on the delivery aircraft, one or more beacon signals from one or more of a series of fixed beacons positioned at known locations relative to and proximate to the drive-through station;

continuously and autonomously determining, through a location detection system of the delivery aircraft, a precise location of the delivery aircraft utilizing the predefined beacon signals when the beacon signals are detected.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the precise location of the delivery aircraft further comprises:

receiving, through a global positioning satellite system of the delivery aircraft, global positioning information corresponding to a current location of the delivery aircraft;

wherein the continuously and autonomously determining the precise location of the delivery aircraft comprises determine the precise location utilizes the global positioning information in cooperation with the beacon signals; and

controlling the delivery aircraft utilizing a known predefined global position of the drive-through station relative to the determined precise location of the delivery aircraft in controlling movement and routing of the delivery aircraft to the drive-through station and to maintain a position of the delivery aircraft while hovering above the vehicle while delivering the first package into the package drop point.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

processing images and confirming there are no detected humans outside the vehicle and within a threshold distance of the package drop point, and

activating a crane system of the delivery aircraft to lower the first package to the package drop point after confirming there are no detected humans outside the vehicle and within the threshold distance of the package drop point.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, at a shopping facility image processor, additional images from one or more shopping facility cameras orientated to capture the additional images of the drive-through station;

determining the current location and orientation of the vehicle, and

communicating the determined current location and orientation information to the delivery aircraft.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

comparing at least two of the additional images of the vehicle at the drive-through station that are captured at different times separated by at least a threshold period of time; and

confirming the package drop point is open and accessible to receive the first package based on the comparing of the at least two additional images.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, at a delivery control system that is separate and distinct from the delivery aircraft, a communication identifying a customer corresponding to the vehicle;

identifying the first package is to be delivered to the vehicle based on the identified customer; and

activating the delivery aircraft to deliver the first package to the package drop point corresponding to the location of the vehicle within the drive-through station in response to a detection of the vehicle at the drive-through station.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting a presence of the vehicle at the drive-through station; and

communicating a vehicle notification to the delivery control system triggering the activation of the delivery aircraft.